1. Field of the Invention
This application relates, in general, to medical devices and, in particular, to medical devices for the extraction of bodily fluid and their associated methods.
2. Background to the Invention
A variety of medical conditions, such as diabetes, call for the monitoring of an analyte concentration (e.g., glucose concentration) in a blood, interstitial fluid or other bodily fluid sample. Typically, such monitoring requires the extraction of a bodily fluid sample from a target site (e.g., a dermal tissue target site on a user's finger). The extraction (also referred to as “expression”) of a bodily fluid sample from the target site generally involves lancing the dermal tissue target site and applying pressure in the vicinity of the lanced site to express the sample.
It is known to employ various bodily fluid extraction devices (e.g., spring-loaded lancing devices) to aid in the expression of a bodily fluid sample. Such bodily fluid extraction devices typically require a user to prime the device, urge the device against a target site, and then press a button or other switch to manually activate the device such that a dermal tissue penetration member (e.g., a lancet) within the device is launched towards the target site. The dermal tissue penetration member then penetrates (e.g., lances) the target site, thereby creating an opening for the expression of a bodily fluid sample.
Extraction of a bodily fluid sample using conventional bodily fluid extraction devices can induce pain and/or discomfort in a user. A portion of such pain and/or discomfort is due to the physical penetration of the target site by the dermal tissue penetration member. However, a significant portion of such pain and/or discomfort can also be mental in nature due to the user's apprehensive anticipation of target site penetration and any disconcerting noise related to manually activating the device. This apprehension typically occurs as the user is urging the bodily fluid extraction device toward the target site and is consciously deciding whether or not to launch the dermal penetration member. In addition, the apprehension can lead to increased pain and/or discomfort due to a user physically tensing the target site in anticipation of penetration.
Pain and/or discomfort to a user can also occur when an attempt to extract a bodily fluid sample is unsuccessful and a user must make another attempt to extract a bodily fluid sample. Unsuccessful attempts to extract a bodily fluid sample can occur, for example, when a bodily fluid extraction device is not in the proper orientation while urged against a target site or has not been urged against the site with the proper pressure.
Still needed in the field, therefore, are a medical device and associated methods that decrease pain and/or discomfort associated with extracting a bodily fluid sampled due to either a user's apprehensive anticipation of target site penetration and/or unsuccessful attempts to extract a bodily fluid sample.